Caught on camera: The West End's designer smash and grab gang are snapped in the act

Last updated at 01:25 02 April 2008

Two men roar away on a motorbike clutching handbags worth tens of thousands of pounds in the first picture of a smash and grab gang in action.

They were among six men on three bikes who struck last night at Fendi in Sloane Street — the fifth London designer shop to be targeted in a series of raids in recent weeks.

But their getaway route took them past a crowd of paparazzi waiting outside the Cipriani restaurant in Mayfair.

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Flash and grab: Two of the robbers laden with thousands of pounds worth of Fendi bags

The photographers were hoping to get pictures of reality TV star Rebecca Loos — instead they saw the bikes race past at speeds of up to 90mph.

Witnesses said they raced through red lights and narrowly missed a baby being pushed across the road in a buggy. One said: “They must have had 20 to 30 bags each. Some were hanging off the bottom of the bikes.

"You wouldn't believe the speed they were going at. They must have whizzed past me at 80 or 90mph. They went through two red lights and missed a baby by inches.

“His parents were wheeling him across the road and it's only thanks to the dad being so quick-witted and pulling the buggy back really fast that the baby wasn't killed.

“The mother was hysterical. She was in floods of tears. I can't believe the robbers could be so despicable.”

Four suspects riding on two scooters tried to break into the brand's flagship store at about midnight, but were thwarted when electronic security shutters activated after the glass was broken.

Police broke up a number of smash and grab gangs last year. Several people were charged and police recovered stolen motorbikes and mopeds as well as 20 Louis Vuitton handbags worth more than £1,200 each.

Last year there were more than 30 ram raids on boutiques and detectives believe the latest robberies are

the work of a new group.

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Raided: Police inspect the scene at the Sloane Street shop

One officer said: “It is not surprising that there is another gang at work, the rewards are so great. You

can get tens of thousands, if not more, for a few seconds work.”

Police have difficulty in investigating the raids because the bikes are usually stolen and stripped of number plates. The gang always wear helmets which cover their faces.